Valentine's Countdown
by augurey149
Summary: Castle wants Kate to know how he feels so, with a little help from Alexis, puts Operation: Valentine's Kate into action...
1. February 1st

Okay, so this is hopefully the opening chapter of my latest story. Reviews please so that I can decide whether or not to carry on with this fic, or move on to something else that I have in the works.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle, or any of the characters, otherwise I would not be writing for you right now (well, maybe, but I would be a lot richer!)

* * *

February 1st.

Richard Castle rushed down the hallway of his loft apartment, racing to answer his phone, which was ringing as though its life, or someone else's, depended on it. Skidding to a halt next to the breakfast bar, Castle scooped up his phone a hurriedly pressed the 'accept' button.

"Castle." Damn, he thought, Beckett's rubbing off on me. He never would have answered his phone like that before.

"Hey, Dad." Alexis. Castle settled himself on one of the stools that sat near the breakfast bar.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up? You're normally here when I get up." Not that he was worried. Alexis was a sensible girl, and was probably at a before school study session with her friends.

"Yeah, but I had to meet up with the others so we could do some last minute cramming for the history test today." Yeah, that was Alexis all over. Castle smiled to himself.

"Okay, so I'll see you when you get home from school, then." Castle was about to hang up, when Alexis spoke.

"Oh, and Dad? Pinch, punch, first of the month!" And with a short burst of laughter, she hung up. Castle stared disbelievingly at the phone in his hand. Firstly, he couldn't believe his daughter had just done that to him over the phone. She didn't even give him a sporting chance this morning to get her! Secondly, he couldn't quite believe it was the first of February. However, when Castle inspected the joke calendar that hung on the wall in the kitchen, he saw that it was indeed the first of the month.

"fourteen days 'til Valentine's day," He muttered to himself. Castle was always nonplussed about Valentine's. sure, he got cards, but they were always from infatuated fans or a couple of nasty ones from his ex-wives. Never from anyone he wanted a card from. A sudden thought struck him.

Beckett.

Yeah, Castle knew he'd get cards, but what about Beckett? He was pretty sure Will wasn't the card-giving type. And, if Castle was honest with himself (which wasn't as rare as a certain detective thought it was), the only kind of card he wanted to receive was from Kate Beckett. Not only that, but he wanted to give her a card as well. And not lose three or four teeth for doing so.

No, he'd have to think of a plan to get Beckett warmed up to the idea of Valentine's day first, 'cause he was almost certain she would look on this holiday as she did Easter. An legitimate excuse for her to sit in her apartment alone and eat chocolate.

This, Castle decided, needed a mastermind when it came to setting people up, and not getting caught.

His phone then screamed shrilly at him that Beckett was calling. Another case. He'd have to talk to the 'mastermind' when he got home.

* * *

Alexis arrived at the loft wary of any onslaught of payback pranks for her phone call this morning. Instead, she found the apartment apparently empty, with a note on the breakfast bar. Cautiously, she walked over and picked up the post-it note and seeing her dad's slanting scrawl, read it.

_Alexis,_

_Wanted to talk to you, but had to go to crime scene with Beckett. Will want to talk when I get back about Operation: Valentine's Kate. Will put Phase One into action at the precinct. Think about something for Phase Two._

_Love you,_

_Dad._

A smile spread on Alexis' face as she read the note. Her dad wanted to get Detective Beckett something for Valentine's day. And he wanted her to help. The smile morphed into a Cheshire cat grin.

This was going to be fun.

* * *

Kate walked back to her desk to see Castle, Ryan and Esposito gathered around her desk, inspecting a box that had, apparently, just arrived for her. She sat back down in her chair, causing all the boys to take a couple of steps back. She looked at the box and saw that her name was written on it in elegant cursive script. She looked up to find all the guys looking at her expectantly. She sighed, brushed a tendril of her hair from her eyes ad lifted the lid off the box, and gasped.

Nestled in the box on a bed of pale lilac tissue paper was a single, pink rose, and next to it, a card. Kate quickly shut her mouth, which in her surprise had formed a small and (in Castle's mind, anyway) perfect o-shape, and carefully picked up the card up. On one side, elegant script spelt out her name. She deliberately flipped the card over and read the message.

_Graceful, elegant and beautiful as this rose_

_But you're modest, play it down_

_Just to let you know that I still noticed_

_And love you all the more for it_

"who sent it, Beckett?" Esposito called over from his desk. She didn't answer for a minute, lost in her own thoughts. She did eventually register his question, and shook her head in response.

"I don't know, it doesn't say." Ryan and Esposito looked at each other, slightly worried for their friend. The last time she'd had a 'fan', she'd almost been killed by an explosion. Kate caught this look and shook her head again.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine. This guy didn't dedicate a murder to me, just sent me a rose. It's fine,' she said authoratively, Ryan and Esposito having given her two identical sceptical looks, 'if it gets any worse, I let you know and we can track him down." the two boys nodded approvingly and went back to their paperwork. Kate turned to Castle, who had been watching her quietly, not saying anything, which was a first. Kate didn't think Castle could go without talking for any amount of time.

"Did you see who delivered this, Castle?" she asked him quietly.

"Yeah,' he answered, but then he shrugged, 'he was just a florist's delivery boy, Beckett. They're a dime a dozen 'round here." Kate looked at him, slightly confused.

"What do you mean?" Castle sat forward a little.

"I don't know if you've noticed while sitting in the morning traffic jam, but there are at least half a dozen florists near the precinct, Beckett." she thought about it, and nodded. There were a lot of florists near the 12th precinct.

"okay, just thought I'd ask . . . Y'know,' she shrugged, 'just in case." Kate then cast an eye over her desk, and realised that she'd left her coffee in the break room. She sighed, and sneaked a look at the rose again. Then, she stood up, stretched and turned to Castle. "I'm going to get a fresh cup of coffee and some water, um, for the rose. Did you want anything?"

"Coffee, please." Kate nodded, then walked to the break room. Once she was gone, Castle allowed himself a small smile. She liked it. It was the best he could come up with on such short notice, but she liked it anyway. With Alexis' help, this was going to be the best two weeks, ever.

Phase One: complete. Phase Two: . . . Well, he was sure Alexis would have some ideas.

* * *

Hey! Okay, those of you who have read this before and are wondering why there is an extra bit on the end, I posted it then realised that I didn't do any Valentine's kind of thing for the 1st of February, which kinda messed up my storyline (as it is in my head at the mo)!

Please review. : )


	2. February 2nd

**Hey, I am so sorry for how late this is, but I had exams last week, then got a mountain of homework for the weekend that I only finished yesterday. So here is chapter 2. R+R please.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of the characters therein.**

**February 2nd****.**

**Kate Beckett flopped down into her office chair, exhausted. Their most recent case had just been closed after a ridiculously long chase through the maze of streets known as downtown New York, so now she had a mountain of paperwork to do. She sighed, tugging on a wayward strand of her auburn hair, and leant forward on her elbows. She buried her face in her hands and let her breath exploded from her body.**

**What she really needed right now, really wanted more than anything, was someone to talk to, even to think about, that she felt understood her. Yeah, she had Castle, but he wouldn't want to have a serious discussion like this. He was too hyped up over them having closed the case before the weekend. **

"**Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear," she muttered as Castle bounded over to her desk, "What do you want, Castle?" Castle froze in his tracks, staring at Beckett disbelievingly. She sighed, exasperated, and lifted her head to look at him. "I said, what do you want? Why are you staring at me with you mouth hanging open? You look gormless, close your mouth!" Castle shut his mouth obediently.**

"**How did you know it was me?" He asked. Beckett rolled her eyes.**

"**Castle, you are the only person who bounds over to my desk. Ever." just as she was fixing Castle with a glare to let him know that bounding over to her desk was not a good idea, Montgomery appeared around the door.**

"**Beckett. Can I have a word?"**

"**Of course, sir," Beckett stood and started to walk towards Montgomery's office, but whirled around and suddenly, in a deadly voice, hissed, "Do not touch anything on my desk and do not sit in my chair Castle, do you understand?" Castle nodded hurriedly and sat in his own chair, hands folded across his chest. She nodded in approval and went to Montgomery's office. **

**He was already sat behind his desk, and when he offered her a chair with a wave of his hand, she sat. as she sat, Montgomery leant forward, rested his elbows on the desk and formed a steeple with his hands. He looked over at her, almost surveying her, then lay his arms down on the desk. "So, how are you?"**

**Beckett was startled by this question. Not noticeably so, but definitely startled. "Um, fine, I guess . . . Sir," she stammered. She tipped her head to one side, unconscious of the movement. "Um, if I might ask, why?" Montgomery smiled. **

"**Oh, no reason really, just wanted to check you were okay after this case. It was tough. . . On all of us." Beckett nodded and Montgomery let her go back to doing her paperwork. She had left his door open and Castle, walking past, looked in as he past and gave the captain a questioning look. Montgomery nodded once, a short and curt jerk of the head, and a grin spread across Castle's face. He waved jauntily, then carried on towards Beckett's desk. Montgomery smiled to himself and chuckled softly. **

**When Beckett returned to her desk, everything seemed normal. It didn't look like Castle had touched anything, so she settled back into the monotony of her paperwork. Just as she was signing another form, a young man came into the precinct, looking very nervous and carrying a package, wrapped in dark blue paper. He looked around, then spotted Beckett watching him. He gulped, his Adam's apple bobbing, and walked shakily over.**

"**Excuse me, do . . . Do y-you know where I-I-I can find Detective Kate Beckett?" Beckett looked at him quizzically, then gave a small reassuring smile.**

"**That would be me," she said, "so, how can I help?" The young man seemed more relaxed now that he had found who he was looking for, and handed her a clipboard and pen.**

"**I need you to sign this for me, and then you can have this package." she signed the receipt form, handed the young man back his clipboard and pen and took the package from him. As she stared at the name tag, Lanie came towards her, apparently talking to her, because the next thing Beckett heard was, "Hello, are you even listening to me?" Beckett shook herself from her stupor.**

"**Sorry, Lanie, but I didn't hear you." Lanie's eyebrows shot upwards. **

"**Yeah, I kinda gathered that from your weird spaced-out expression. What's that?" She pointed at the package and Beckett shook her head.**

"**I don't know. I was just wondering whether or not to open it." She looked back at the package, at the tag that told her who it as from. **

"**Why?" **

" '**Cause it's from, what the boys have dubbed, my 'secret admirer'." Lanie, who had been filled in on the admirer's previous gift by Esposito, looked at her friend, confused. **

"**So, why don't you want to open it?" Beckett sighed.**

"**I don't know, maybe because I don't know who this guy is, or what he wants. And besides," She added as a sudden afterthought, "I have a boyfriend." Lanie shot her friend a sceptical look. "Okay, I supposedly have a boyfriend."**

"**Honey, Will's hardly around as it is, and being honest I don't think he's a good thing for you, what with you working opposite shifts and all. So there's no reason you can't accept these presents you're getting, 'cause I don't see anyone else, especially your so-called boyfriend, getting you anything." Beckett sighed at her lecture and nodded and Lanie walked over to talk to Ryan and Esposito, a self-satisfied smirk obvious in her features. Beckett smiled at her friend's behaviour, and turned her attention back to the package.**

**Carefully, she unwrapped it to find a plain cardboard box. She opened that to find another, much more ornately decorated box, a long oblong box that she was sure contained another rose, and a small card. She picked up the card, which had a small butterfly design on the front and read the message.**

_**It's now twelve days until Valentine's,**_

_**So I hope you'll carry on accepting my gifts until then,**_

_**This one's to show you that **_

_**You're not the only sweet thing in this world**_

_**Especially when you don't know you are**_

_**And I love you a little more every day.**_

_**From, **_

_**A friend who cares.**_

**Beckett stared disbelievingly at the card, then lifted out the ornate box and, hands shaking, lifted the lid. Inside was a layer of all her favourite chocolates from the most expensive confectionery store in this part of New York. She knew, from looking at their catalogues, that this particular box was most likely a select-your-own box, which cost a small fortune. She set this box aside and picked up the oblong box and, already knowing what would be inside, opened it to find two pale pink roses. She bite her lip to subdue a smile, put the lids back on the boxes, tucked the card under the ribbon on the rose box and put them back into the larger cardboard box.**

**Just as she was putting the box on the floor by her bag, so she wouldn't forget to take it home, Will stepped out of the elevator and walked briskly towards her desk. She looked up when she heard the footsteps and smiled at him.**

"**Hey," she said, "What brings you here?" she spoke lightly, as though making conversation, but she could see the dangerous look in Will's eye and had subconsciously tensed, ready for whatever was to come. **

"**Where did the rose come from?" He demanded. Beckett raised an eyebrow.**

"**You mean the one in the vase on the coffee table?" A curt nod gave her the answer. "I got it from a secret admirer, it's no big deal . . . Harmless, really." Will's face steadily grew redder.**

"**Now why do I have a hard time believing you? Oh, I know, maybe it's because I hardly ever see you. . ." Beckett's temper rose and she stood to face him.**

"**That's hardly all my fault now, is it? I'm not the one who's been taking on extra shifts, am I? And don't tell me you're not 'cause I asked your supervisor why he was sticking you with the overtime, only to be told that you had taken it voluntarily." Beckett shook her head. "It's almost as though you don't want to be around me. And I can't take it anymore. Not when it comes to the point where an anonymous friend is showing me more affection than my boyfriend." **

**Will, who had shown all signs of interrupting, now became deadly quiet, his face expressionless. When he spoke, there was no emotion in his voice, just simple statement of fact. "Well, if that's what you really feel, perhaps there is no point in continuing this relationship. So, consider this our clean break." then, he turned and walked out of the precinct, and Detective Kate Beckett's life. She slumped down into her chair, folded her arms on the desk and buried her face in them to hide the wave of tears that was rapidly escaping.**

**Castle had seen the whole scene from the break room doorway, had seen Beckett's heart shatter into a thousand pieces as she watched her boyfriend walk out of her life forever.**

**This was not part of the plan. "I need to talk to Alexis," He muttered, pulling his phone out of his pocket.**

**Oh dear. Don't worry, I will try to make the next chapter better, but for now you'll have to deal with a cliff hanger. I love reading your reviews, so please stay with me. : )**

**A/N: I'm thinking about writing a story with an o/c character, possibly Castle's goddaughter, maybe hurt/comfort. Tell me what you think.**


	3. February 3rd

Hi! Thanks to everyone who has review so far.

Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of the characters therein *sob*

February 3rd.

"I know what I said, Alexis, but I don't think I can keep doing this." Castle was exasperated. He was trying to save Beckett more heartache, but Alexis wasn't making this easy. "It's my fault that Will broke up with her, it's my fault she's unhappy and lonely right now. I don't want to make it worse." Alexis rolled her eyes. Her dad was trying to back out of what had originally been his plan, but she'd seen how he looked at Detective Beckett, how Detective Beckett sometimes looked at her dad when she thought that no one was watching her. She could guess how they felt about each other, and had concluded ages ago that she was pretty accurate in her assumptions.

"Dad, I know how you feel. I was involved in this plan as well, remember? I don't want to make her any more unhappy than she already is, but you told me how she reacted to the presents, you told me how her eyes lit up and she smiled. It seems obvious to me that these gifts and cards aren't making her unhappy, in fact they seem to be doing the opposite." Castle looked away from his daughter moodily. Alexis, sensing her advantage, so pressed on. "I know you know that she's happier than she has been, or would be, because of her 'secret admirer', so why do you really want to give up? 'Cause that's what you're planning on doing, Dad." She stood, hands on hips, waiting for an answer. She didn't have to wait long.

"I don't know what the end game is," he sighed, "I don't know what happens when it's Valentine's day and she wants to know why she got all these presents and cards and yet doesn't know who this mysterious person is. What happens if she gets impatient after a while and starts setting the guys on me? What happens when she finds out it's me?" Castle looked at his daughter, showing her how afraid he was. Alexis sighed, walked over to her dad and hugged him.

"I don't know, Dad, but you'll never find out unless you do this now." Castle looked down at his daughter, and smiled.

"Y'know, you're pretty people savvy for a teenager?" Alexis rolled her eyes and grinned at her dad.

"Dad, it's because I'm a teenager I'm people savvy. Have to be to survive high school." castle smiled again, then suddenly frowned.

"What am I going to do about to day's present? I haven't even bought the rose." Alexis grinned like a cat that got the cream.

"Already taken care of, Dad."

Beckett opened her desk drawer to find a long, oblong box with a card attached to it. Surprised at the gift's location, she took it out of the drawer, laid the box on the desk and opened the card.

_Sorry there's no extra gift too_

_As it's my heart that you have caught_

_I thought a simple rose would do_

_To get across my foremost thought_

_That I love you_

Beckett smiled to herself then, looking around to make sure no one was watching, lifted the rose out of the box and breathed in the heavenly scent of the bloom. As she placed the rose back in its box, she smiled to herself again. "Thank you," she whispered under her breath, "whoever you are."

Hey, I'm sorry it's a bit short, but please r&r anyway : )


	4. And Time Passes

**Hey (cowering behind laptop) I know I haven't written in a while. I would ply you with excuses, but that would probably be a waste of time, so I'm just going to get on with the newest chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Castle or any of the characters therein, as they are the property of a big American television corporation (not sure which one though :P).**

And Time Passes . . . 

The roses kept on coming, as did the gifts. Beckett could hardly contain her excitement when she opened her desk drawer one day to fine an elegant silver bracelet set with tiny diamonds (according to the note, "to match her sparkling wit"). Another day, she found several bags of M&M's, which most of her colleagues were surprised to see brought a delighted smile to her face.

The notes themselves revealed a lot about her admirer, and so piece by piece she began to narrow down the possibilities of his identity. Beckett knew that it was definitely someone from the precinct, purely based on her admirer's access to her work desk. Adding to this the fact that whoever it was knew that she had a slight addiction to a specific brand of sweets, and the possibilities became even narrower.

And then, just as she thought she had identified the 'culprit' (though Beckett would admit that she had never been so happy to be wrong . . . the idea that the guy from forensics being her admirer did worry her . . .), she reached into her drawer for a pen to sign off on the delivery of a fingerprint analysis (by said creepy forensic guy) when something sharp pricked her finger.

"Ouch!"

Beckett carefully put her and back in the drawer and, upon feeling the tell-tale velvety petals of a rose, signed the form quickly and put the file on her desk. Once she was left alone, she opened the drawer to its fullest and saw another red rose and an envelope.

Curious, she pulled the envelope and rose out of the drawer. She put the rose in the vase that was now a permanent fixture on her desk, then settled back in her chair to examine the envelope. It was made from a heavy cream-coloured paper, with gilded edges and her name written in a neat, looping cursive script. Her curiosity now winning out over her awe, she flipped the envelope over in her hands and gently opened it, pulling out a small square of paper, also cream with gilded edges, and the same neat script reading:

_Miss Katherine Beckett_

_Is cordially invited to _

_The Annual Valentine's Masquerade Ball_

The rest of the invitation detailed the time, date and dress code, but what kept drawing Beckett's attention was the neat, almost familiar handwriting on the back of the envelope.

_I hope you can make it_

_For then I'll see fit_

_To reveal all_

_At the Valentine's Ball_

_What this little clue_

_Does not reveal to you._

After staring at the writing for what felt like a millennium, Beckett picked up her phone and made a phone call.

"Hi, Lanie? Are you free after work today? Good,' she murmured as she looked at the invitation again, 'I have to buy a costume. I'm going to a ball…"

Castle pressed himself against the wall of the break room and, hearing Beckett talk to Lanie about potential costume, smiled to himself. Now, he thought, it's time for the grand finale . . . .

**Please r & r, even if you hated it.**


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